Dr. McDermott's dental
office. Plankton had
been in surgery for wisdom teeth.
The receptionist, a young woman
named "Samantha," was going up to Karen.
"Your husband is
to be taken to the recovery,"
she said, her voice gentle and
soothing.
Karen nodded.
Samantha led her down. Plankton
was laid out on a narrow bed, his
mouth open slightly.
"He's still under,"
Samantha whispered, "but going
to start bringing him out of it now.
Waking is a gradual process so.."
Karen nodded. She watched as a
nurse approached,
deftly adjusting tubes and
machines connected to him.
The nurse flicked a switch and
began to decrease the flow.
The anesthesia
diminished. Plankton's chest
continued to rise and fall rhythmically,
his eye remained closed. Karen
reached out and took his hand, her
thumb brushing against his. She
squeezed gently, hoping it might
provide some comfort, or at least
a thread of familiarity, as he began
his journey back to consciousness.
A few moments later, Plankton's hand
twitched ever so slightly in response.
"It's ok honey," she whispered,
though she knew he couldn't hear.
A nurse, named Margaret, offered
an assuring smile. "It's normal for
it to take time. Just keep talking
to him, it'll help."
Karen leaned closer, her voice
barely above a murmur. "Remember
our first date?" she began.
Plankton's snore was the only response.
"Don't worry, he'll come around soon.
Anesthesia can take a while to wear off.
And when he does, he'll be groggy.
It's like waking up from a deep sleep."
Her thoughts drifted to Plankton's
snoring, a comforting sound. She
squeezed his hand again, trying to
will him to wake with her touch.
Then, to her surprise, she heard a murmur.
"Mm, chum... so... much... chum..."
The nurse, Margaret, gave her a knowing
look. "It's common for patients to
talk in their sleep as they come out of
it. Sometimes they say the
darndest things."
Karen smiles. "Chum?" she repeated,
"Is that what you're dreaming about?"
"Needff... chum..."
"You're ok,"
she whispered, her voice filled with
relief. "You're just dreaming, sweetie."
"Chum... I... I nee to... get ith," he
slurred. Karen's smile grew,
his nonsensical words bringing a
small spark of comfort.
"You're dreaming about work,"
she said, stroking his forehead
with the back of her hand.
The nurse, Margaret, checked the
monitors and nodded. "His vitals
look good. He'll be fine," she assured.
"Remember the first time you made
me a Patty?" she
asked, her voice soothing. Plankton's
grip on her hand tightened slightly,
his chest rising and falling with
even breaths.
"Ith... Ith was’at..." he mumbled.
It wasn't often she heard him express
his feelings so openly, especially not about
her.
"What was it, honey?" she prompted,
a soft smile playing on her lips.
"Youw... youwre the... the besht... the... besht..."
his voice trailed off again into snores.
Karen chuckled
with affection. It was clear he was
talking about her, despite the
garbled speech. She leaned in
closer. "I'm right here," she whispered.
Plankton's sleep-talk grew,
his grip on her hand tightening. "Pro-tec...
the secret... chum... fwom... Plankton..."
"You're safe," she said, her voice
a soothing whisper. "You don't have to
worry about the recipe now."
Plankton's slurred words
continued. "Fwom... Plankton... ith...
ith... my... my... hearth..." It was
almost as if he was speaking to it,
whispering sweet nothings in his sleep.
"Your... your heart?" she repeated
uncertainly, trying to make sense of
his words. Plankton's chest rose and
fell in a slow, steady rhythm, his hand
still clutching hers tightly.
A faint
moan escaped Plankton's lips, and
his eye began to flutter open. His
eye searched the room, unfocused
and glazed. He blinked
slowly, a look of confusion
spreading across his face. The nurse
stood by, monitoring,
ready to intervene if needed.
"Karen?" he croaked, his voice
slurred from the anesthesia. She
squeezed his hand tighter and leaned in,
her voice as gentle as a lullaby.
"Hi, sweetie. It's all over now. You're
in the recovery room."
Plankton's eye searched hers,
still clouded with sleep. "Wha... wha'
happen'd?" he managed to ask.
"You had your wisdom teeth removed,"
Karen said softly. "You're ok now."
Plankton's eye grew clearer as
his mind slowly surfaced from the
depths of unconsciousness. He blinked
again, looking around the room.
"Why... why awe youw smiling?"
"You were talking in your sleep,"
she said, trying to keep the
amusement out of her voice. "It was
just sweet."
Plankton's eye searched hers.
"Wha'did I shay?"
"You said a lot of
things," she replied, her smile
lingering. "But the most important
part was that you said I was the best."
The corner of Plankton's mouth
twitched into a weak smile. "Yeah?"
he murmured, his voice still
slurred. "Well, thath's twue."
With Margaret's help, Karen managed
to get Plankton into a more
upright position. His head lolled
slightly before he found his
bearings, blinking rapidly to clear
his vision.
"How do you feel?" Karen
asked, her voice full of concern.
"Woozy," Plankton mumbled.
With Margaret's guidance, Karen helped
Plankton to stand, his legs wobbly. He leaned heavily
on her, the anesthesia still clouding
his movements. She felt his weight
and knew that he would need her support
to navigate the short walk to the car.
"Let's go slow," she said, her voice
steady and calm. Plankton nodded,
his eye still half-lidded with sleep.
They shuffled along the hallway,
each step a victory over his grogginess.
As they approached the door
leading to the parking lot, Plankton
swayed. Karen tightened her
grip, for his head lolled
to the side, and she caught him.
"Whoa, honey," she said.
Plankton's legs buckled slightly, and
his head dropped to her shoulder,
his weight pressing against her. Karen
steadied him, her arms wrapping around
to keep him upright. His breathing
was deep and even, eye fighting to stay open.
"You can't sleep now," she said,
trying to keep the laughter from her
voice. "We're not even home yet."
With Margaret's help, they made
their way to the car, Karen's arm
supporting Plankton's weight.
"Let's get you buckled in," she said,
guiding him to the passenger seat.
Plankton complied, his movements
still sluggish and uncoordinated.
With a gentle push, Karen secured
the seatbelt across his chest. His
head lolled back against the headrest,
and for a moment, she thought
he might fall back asleep, but
managed to keep his eye open as she
starts the engine.
As she pulled out of the parking
lot, Plankton's eye drifted shut. "We're
almost home." Karen says as Plankton's head
lolled back against the
headrest. She took a hand off the
wheel to pat his leg reassuringly.
"You can sleep when we get there."
Yet Plankton's snores filled the
car, punctuating the silence. Karen
couldn't help but look over at him,
his face relaxed and peaceful in
sleep.
"Wake up, sweetie," Karen
whispered, gently shaking Plankton.
He stirred, his eye blinking open with
difficulty. "We're home," she
said.
Plankton groaned. "Careful,"
she warned.
They shuffled inside, Karen guiding him. The
smell of home hit them, a mix of
saltwater and the faint scent of
cooking from the restaurant next door.
"Come on, honey," she said,
half-guiding, half-carrying him
to their bedroom. Karen
helped him lie downs.
He let out a deep sigh.
"Thathks," he murmured,
his voice barely audible.
Karen settled Plankton into bed,
his head resting on the soft pillows, his body
limp and heavy with the weight
of the anesthesia. She took his other
hand and squeezed gently.
As they lay there, she noticed a
small pool of drool forming at
the corner of his mouth.
Karen couldn't help but
laugh softly, the tension of the
day dissipating. She reached for a
tissue from the bedside table and
gently wiped the drool away. Plankton
snuffled, his eye shooting open for a
moment before closing again.
"Don't worry," she whispered,
stroking his forehead. "You're safe.
You can go back to sleep now."
Plankton's head lolled to the
side, and drool grew more insistent,
a silent testament to his deep slumber.
Karen grabbed another tissue,
wiping the saliva that trickled
down his chin, his snores rumbling.
With each tissue, the intimacy grew,
the act of caring for him in this vulnerable
state somehow endearing. She felt a tenderness
for him that was usually overshadowed
by their daily squabbles and the relentless
pursuit of the Krabby Patty's secret recipe.
As Plankton's snores grew softer,
his grip on her hand loosened. Karen
gently pulled her hand free and covered
him with the blanket. She took a moment
to gaze at his peaceful face. It was
a side of him she rarely saw, and she
found it surprisingly comforting.
She leaned
over and kissed him softly on the
forehead, whispering, "I love you,
even when you're drooling."
Karen knew Plankton would be out
for hours, so she decided to use the
time to prepare a light meal for when
he woke. She moved quietly to the
kitchen, not wanting to disturb him.
She rummaged, looking for something
soft that wouldn't irritate his
sore mouth.
In the fridge, she found a bowl
of Plankton's favorite jellyfish jello,
a treat she had made the night before
knowing he wouldn't be able to eat
much solid food. Then, she pulled out a
loaf of bread and a jar of jelly,
carefully making a few soft,
fluffy sandwiches that she hoped
would be easy for him to chew.
Next, she grabbed a few of Plankton's
favorite books from the living
room. She placed
them on the bedside table, along with
a glass of water, within arm's reach.
She took a deep
breath, feeling a sense of peace
settle over her as she listened to
his rhythmic snores. Despite the
stress of the day, she was grateful
for the quiet moments like these.